Product Description

Three books in one collection--all by bestselling author R.L. Stine. In "The Rich Girl", Emma and Sydney found a bag stuffed with money. But they didn't know they would have to kill to keep it. In "The Dare", Johanna's finally in the cool crowd--and she'll do anything to stay there. And in "The Prom Queen", is a serial killer murdering the prom queen candidates? Or is it one of the girls? .

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2547473 in Books
• Published on: 1998-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-As this story opens, Destiny and Livvy are completing their summer jobs as camp counselors. Their mother committed suicide only months before, and they found the camp a healing environment. Little did they know that one of the other counselors, a mysterious and very handsome young man with an Italian accent, would be the cause of much tragedy and distress for the twins in upcoming weeks. While at camp, Renz had drawn each teen away, revealed his true identity, and then sucked her blood. His ritual was interrupted with Destiny, however, and she did not reciprocate, making her a neophyte. Renz then followed her home to await the full moon and another opportunity, but animals and even some of the twins' friends turn up dead while he waits-all of their blood completely drained from their bodies. This is standard fare for Stine-short chapters each ending with a hook, very little character development, and predictable story lines. There are a few surprises, but nothing particularly innovative. However, teens will immediately gravitate to the teenage girls on the cover and the enticing title, and Stine's many fans will be satisfied.
Kimberly L. Paone, Elizabeth Public Library, NJ
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"A fast and breezy vampire tale punctuated with a few nasty shocks." (Publishers Weekly )

"Stine's many fans will be satisfied." (School Library Journal )

About the Author

Robert Lawrence Stine is one of the best-selling children's authors in history. He began his writing career at the age of nine writing short stories, joke books, and comic books for his friends -- and has been at it ever since!

After graduating from Ohio State University, R.L. moved to New York to become a writer. He wrote joke books and humor books and created Bananas, a zany humor magazine, before he turned to the scary. He wrote Fear Street and then Goosebumps, the phenomenal series that made him an international celebrity and the number-one best-selling children's author of all time (Guinness Book of World Records).

He recently published the first Dangerous Girls novel and two original collections of scary stories -- the New York Times best-seller Nightmare Hour and The Haunting Hour. His book series The Nightmare Room, also published by HarperCollins, was adapted into a popular TV series.

R.L. lives in Manhattan with his wife, Jane, and their son, Matthew.

Customer Reviews

Couldn't Stop.
I loved this book. I couldn't stop once I got started. I read a lot and this was one of the better fantisy books I've read in a while. It's especally good if you aren't in the mood to be thrilled to death. I was weary of reading an R. L. Stine book due to I remember Fear Street vividly. I loved Dangerous Girls.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation (Became a Vampire)
Destiny and Livvy were camp counselors. On their last night of camp they are bitten by one of the other councillors. For some reason they do not remember the event or even the existence of the councillor. Counselor Renz has a reason for targeting the twins. He believes on of hem is his long-lost love.

As the new school year begins at Summer's end, the sisters notice the marks on their necks. They are quick to speculate what it could mean and soon come to the conclusion that there is a chance they will turn into vampires. Soon they become overly sensitive to the sun. People begin to get killed. Renz makes an appearance in town although the girls do not remember him.

Who is behind the killings? Is there a way to halt the transformation? Are there really vampire slayers? What are Renz's plans? All of the questions and others get answered although some of those answers raise more questions as well as pave the way for the sequel.

Quick short chapters move the story along very quickly and the reader is kept guessing what is really going on. As the book ended I was sorry I had not waited to get the sequel first (my usual habit). Now I have to wait for the next one. Storywise this one seems to fall somewhere between Stine's usual YA books and his more adult stories. This is not a typical vampire tale.

Even For A Teen Vampire Novel This Is Pathetic
The cover and selection on the back made this book look extreamely promising. The book first begins to strain at the very begining at the summer camp. All the girls were drooling over Renz who is modeled after the millions of carbon copy vampires. Livvy and Destiny are also the carbon copy vampire prey. Livvy's advanced symptoms and odd behavior are more than enough to stir the reader's sixth sense of what will happen but the constant reminder of how different they are will no doubt give it away to many readers.

The actual change to being a vampire was poorly written even though it was the main focus of the book. Even though the coach and his wife added a lot to the novel the completely unbelievable plotline involving the vampire hunters and the father's blunt charecterization and the obvious plotline with the father's project and the blood drained animals takes more from the book than it had to begin with.

The coach's wife's obvious hints takes away from whatever hope of irony or a plot twist the most readers will have left in them. And the setting is terrible along with the friends who seem to have little purpose in the book and die without anyone really caring and the petty squable between the girls over the one friend is enough to make even the most squemish reader want them to die a horrible gory death.

If you want a good vampire novel I'd suggest Anne Rice for the older folk and Artwater-Rhodes for teens and Darren Shan for the younger ones and older since he is very good.